Meet Spider-Man and learn about safety during Kidfest

Your community in brief

September 21, 2009|By Debbie Manis, Sentinel Staff Writer

The Central Florida Kidfest & Family Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Celebration of Praise Church in Clermont.

The event brings families and community and nonprofit organizations together "for the mutual objective of keeping children safe," organizers said, and features hundreds of exhibits showcasing products and services.

Kids and parents can learn about drug awareness, car-seat safety, swimming and pool safety, fire safety and bicycle safety. Child fingerprinting will be available, and there will be interactive displays and booths. Visitors can meet law-enforcement officers, firefighters, forest rangers and characters including Spider-Man, Smokey Bear, Superman and crash-test dummies Vince and Larry. Other diversions include inflatable games, puppets, balloons and face painting.

Kidfest is free and open to the public.

Celebration of Praise Church of God is at 3700 S. U.S. Highway 27.

Green certification

Lake County Extension is hosting a best-management-practices certification course for Florida's green industries from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday. These best-management practices are designed to preserve and protect Florida's water resources from pollution and cover proper fertilization, pest control, irrigation and practices for landscape and pest control professionals. Knowing appropriate fertilizer rates, sources and application methods can cut down pollution of ground and surface waters.

The course is targeted toward supervisors and workers in lawn care, pest control and landscape industries; municipal parks-and-recreation supervisors and employees; irrigation-industry workers; retail employees who sell fertilizers; city and county planning, environmental and water-quality departments; and builders, developers, landscape designers and architects.

Cost is $20 and includes lunch and materials. To reserve a seat, call 352-343-4101. Lake County Extension is at 1951 Woodlea Road in Tavares.

Antiques-appraisal clinic

The Eustis Historical Museum and Preservation Society will present an antiques-appraisal clinic from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Eustis Community Center, 601 Northshore Drive.

The domestic-violence hotline is 352-753-5800; the sexual-assault hotline is 352-787-1379.

Green Fair

A Lake County conservation group is looking for sponsors and exhibitors to participate in the county's second annual Green Fair in November.

The Lake County Green Team, made up of county employees who spread conservation awareness, are accepting sponsorships for the fair planned for Nov. 14 at Wooton Park in downtown Tavares.

The fair will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will have educational programs and displays about environmental issues. Sponsors and exhibitors will be able to promote their "green" products and services.

Last year's event drew more than 1,500 visitors and 75 exhibitors.

Sponsorships range from $250 to $2,500. For information or to sign up as a sponsor, call Amye King at 352-343-9647 or e-mail aking@lakecountyfl.gov.

The cost for exhibitors, who promote green products and services, is free for not-for-profit groups and $25 for businesses. An application is available my visiting lakecountyfl.gov and click on "exhibitor" or call 352-343-9647.